The smell of wine, oh how much more delicate, cheerful, gratifying, celestial and delicious it is than that of oil.
François Rabelais (1495-1553)

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Now is the time to drink your 2000 Napa Cabernets

In California, 2000 was a difficult vintage for late ripening grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It started with a cool and moist spring, followed by a heat wave in mid June, warm temperatures in July and August, and ended with storms in October. Nonetheless, the 2000 Oakford Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville that we drunk the other day was absolutely delicious.

Oakford Vineyards is a small winery located in the western hills of the Napa Valley just above the town of Oakville. The wine is 100% Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Oakford's estate vineyard as well as from the historic To Kalon vineyard. it was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

I think it really depends on the wine. Here's what Silver Oak says about its 2000 Napa bottling: "The 2000 Silver Oak Napa Valley is a classic Cabernet Sauvignon with a dark, ruby-red color and an exquisite nose of cassis, violets, roasting coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and cloves. It has a rich, balanced mouth feel dripping with ripe berries and chocolate. Medium tannins are well integrated into the long finish. It will continue to improve to 2020, given proper cellaring."

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I don't remember exactly when I really started enjoying wine, maybe during one of my college years that I spent in Bordeaux. I didn't know much about wine at that time and I remember buying wines based on the label design rather than on the name of the château... About me